Lost in Time
by Lola Estheim
Summary: Noel found someone. But can he forget about Serah so easily? *Sequel to "What a Girl Wants"
1. Chapter 1

? AF

Noel decided to leave New Bodhum. Nobody needed him there, so he got up one morning and decided to leave. Serah had made it clear to him that she wasn't concerned about finding her sister anymore, so he felt no need to stay. He did all he could for her. He protected her from harm, like he'd promised Gadot. He didn't owe anybody anything.

He went through the time gate, unaware of where it would take him. He didn't care, as long as it was far away from New Bodhum. It's not that he hated Serah. He just couldn't stand the thought of her being with someone else. Hope was a nice guy and he treated Serah well. They were perfect for each other, but Noel couldn't help but wish that she would be with him instead.

Noel landed in a peaceful looking town. He didn't know where he was or what the place was called. He walked around aimlessly, observing his new surroundings. When he wasn't paying attention he bumped into someone, knocking down their bag. Noel quickly picked it up and gave it to the woman. She was beautiful. She had light brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a small build. She was slightly shorter than him. Maybe around 5'7, he thought. She looked young too, maybe around his age.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"You're welcome," Noel said. The woman smiled and started to walk away. Noel couldn't let her do that. Not without knowing her name, at least. "Hey!"

The woman turned around and walked back toward him, waiting for him to say something. Noel scratched his head. "What is this place? And what year is it?" he asked, in a hushed voice.

"Are you a tourist?" she asked curiously. Noel nodded. "It's 300 AF… In the Bresha Ruins… Well it's just called Bresha now. The Academy decided to turn the ruins into an actual town about two hundred years ago."

Noel vaguely remembered his grandmother telling him something of that matter. 300 AF? At least that meant that it was highly unlikely for him to run into Serah or Hope. They'd both surely be dead by now. "Right. My name's Noel by the way. Noel Kreiss."

"My name's Demitra … Demitra Vlados. But everyone calls me Demi," she said. "Do you need help with anything, since you're new here?"

"Could you show me around some?"

"Sure. This way," she said, motioning for him to follow her. He watched her as she walked. She had a nice walk. It was a strut, as if she were walking down a runway. She had a nice ass too, he thought with a smirk to himself.

"So how old are you?" he asked, as she showed him around the town square, where all the shops and stores were located. There was a bakery, a clothing store, a few restaurants, and other businesses.

"I'm seventeen. You?"

"Eighteen… What's your life like here?"

"Well… I work as a fashion model."

"Figures. You have the walk for it."

"Thanks." Demi showed him every last inch of the town. He liked it. The lush, green grass, the sweet smelling air… The buildings and houses… The children running past him. The town was just so friendly, so inviting. Much friendlier than it had been in the Dying World, where it'd been him, Caius, and Yeul, his former girlfriend. She died shortly before he decided to travel through time. Maybe it'd been one of the reasons he left. He couldn't really say for sure.

"Thank you for showing me around. You've been so kind," Noel said.

"You're welcome. I hope you feel at home here," Demi said. She took out a piece of paper and scribbled on it with a pen. Then she handed the slip of paper to him. "Call me if there's _anything_ else you need." She put an emphasis on the word 'anything.' She actually _wanted_ to see him again. She _wanted_ him to call her.

"Will do," Noel said with a smile before walking off in the opposite direction. Noel would have to find someplace to stay. He walked around the town aimlessly, while trying to remember if Demi had told him of an inn.

Before he could think any further, he stumbled across one called Bresha Inn. How generic, noel thought as he pushed the door open. He made a reservation for a small room. The person behind the desk gave him a key and let him on his way.

The room was simple, but elegant. The bed had enough room for three people, decorated with moss green sheets and comforters. The mahogany dresser had plenty of room for Noel's clothes and treasures. The bathroom was small, but complete with a bathtub, sink, toilet, and mirror. Noel could get used to this. And staying at the inn was cheap. Only 40 gil a day. Not bad at all.

He unpacked his things, unaware of how long he'd actually be staying. If he did plan on staying, he'd have to find a job and a place to live that he could call his own. And he had to get all of that accomplished before his savings of six thousand gil was completely depleted. He'd worry about it in the morning. He was exhausted, so he collapsed on the bed and drifted off to sleep with dreams of Demi.


	2. Chapter 2

300 AF

Noel woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. He took a bath and ordered some breakfast to be brought to his room. Sure enough, fifteen minutes later someone arrived with a platter of delicious food. Then he realized he was famished. He hadn't eaten anything yesterday. He had no problem finishing all of the eggs, bacon, and french toast.

After breakfast, he got dressed and decided to do some job hunting. He bought a newspaper from the supermarket and sat down on one of the benches in town square. He searched through the back sections, where the jobs and houses and apartments were. He came across quite a few jobs. He could be a store clerk, a security guard, or a farmhand. The only thing that he could picture himself doing was being a security guard. He was strong, tall, and he could fight if he had to.

The salary was 600 gil per week. Not bad, he thought. And he only had to work four days a week. Even better, he thought. And he got to pick his own hours. He kept that in mind as he looked for an apartment for a decent price. He found a listing for a one bedroom apartment, which would cost him 500 gil per month. He decided he'd call to set up a tour.

He went to the Security Headquarters so that he could find out more information about the job. He walked up to the front desk. "Excuse me? I saw a job offer in the newspaper and I was wondering if it was still available," Noel said politely.

"Yes, please follow me this way for an interview," the woman said. An interview? Noel had never been on one. In his days, there was no need for that. He'd been a hunter. He never worked in an office or anything like that. Noel took a deep breath as he followed the woman down a long hallway. Noel had no reason to be nervous. He was a good speaker, a smooth talker. He could handle it.

The woman knocked on a door, went inside, and came back out a few seconds later. She simply said, "He's ready to see you now," and walked away. Noel nodded and went inside the room. The man motioned for him to take a seat in front of his desk.

"Good morning," Noel said as he sat. "My name is Noel Kreiss."

"Mr. Kreiss, why do you want this job?" he asked. Noel looked at his desk. The nameplate read: Nomu Shinra.

"Well, Mr. Shinra, I think I'd qualify… I'm strong; I can fight if you need me too."

The man studied him for a long time. "Okay. I'll tell you a bit about the job… For two weeks, you'd have to go through training. You'll still get paid the same amount of six hundred gil, but training would be from nine am to three pm. After training is complete, you'll get to choose your hours. What hours would you like, Mr. Kreiss? It would be for six hours per day?"

"Nine to three would be perfect. And it's four days a week, correct?" Noel said. The man nodded and scribbled on a piece of paper. "I think Monday through Thursday should be sufficient."

"Great," he said while rummaging through a box behind his desk. "Report here on Monday at nine am. Don't be late. And here is your uniform."

"Great. Thanks," Noel said and walked out of his new boss' office. Piece of cake, Noel thought as he strutted out of the building. This new job was perfect and he'd found one on his first day in Bresha! How awesome was that? He had the whole weekend to enjoy the great news.

Now he had an apartment to worry about. He went back to the inn to call the number he'd found in the newspaper. A woman answered and he asked her a few questions, scheduling an interview for the following day at noon.

Everything was going so well. He hoped that the apartment would be in decent shape. Hopefully there wouldn't be chipping paint or rodents running around.

Then he thought of Demi. He wanted to tell her his great news. He picked up the phone and called her number. "Hello?" she answered in her sweet voice.

"Hi, it's Noel," he said.

"Hi, how are things going?"

"Well… I got a job as a security guard for the Academy. And I have an appointment tomorrow to see an apartment."

"That's great! We should celebrate… There's this club around the way. I could take you there. We could both use some fun."

"Sounds good."

"I'll meet you in the square at eight. Don't be late!" she said before hanging up. Noel didn't even need to ask her on a date. She pretty much did that herself. But he wasn't sure if he should call it a date or not. Maybe she only wanted to be friends. He couldn't be too sure. Demi was a tricky girl.

At eight, Demi was waiting for him. Noel had on a pair of black pants and a grey button up shirt. Demi had on a miniskirt, heels, and a halter top. Noel stuck his arm out and Demi grabbed onto him.

"You look lovely," he said as they walked.

"You're not so bad yourself," she teased. Noel smiled.

"Where are we going anyway?"

"To that building right over there," she said, pointing in the distance. When they reached the building, they went inside. The large room was filled with young people. There were people dancing, people drinking, and people socializing.

"This place is amazing," Noel said.

"C'mon. Let's get a drink," Demi said, leading him to the bar. They took seats and a bartender approached them.

"Who's the lucky guy?" she asked Demi, smiling.

Demi laughed and said, "This is Noel… Noel, this is my friend Eira."

"Nice to meet you," Noel said and shook her hand. He turned to Demi. "What do you drink?"

"Shots," she said.

Before Noel knew it, he and Demi had each had three shot glasses. Noel didn't really drink too often, so he was definitely drunk. They got up to dance. The room was spinning and he was having a great time. The music was blasting.

Then that's when things started getting better. Demi leaned in and kissed him. He could taste traces of vodka on her tongue. Her mouth was so warm… So inviting. So they had a makeout session in the middle of the dance floor. Noel didn't plan for their first kiss to be quite like this one. Not when they were both pretty drunk.

They both staggered out of the club around one. At that point, the alcohol was starting to wear off on Noel. He couldn't say the same for Demi. He picked her up and carried her. She showed him where she lived, a cute little house around the town square. He placed her gently on her bed and pulled the covers over her. She started whining when he tried to leave.

"Don't go," she said.

"I'll stay with you until you fall asleep, okay?" he said. She fell asleep almost immediately. Noel went over to her and kissed her forehead. Then he went back to the inn, his temporary home.


	3. Chapter 3

300 AF

Demi woke up at around eleven the next morning. Last night was a little blurry, but then it came to her. She and Noel went to the club. They had shots and danced. She kissed him. Then he brought her home and stayed with her until she fell asleep.

Demi was mortified. She was so embarrassed. She shouldn't have had so much to drink. Noel probably thought she was a crazed party girl. That's who Demi _used_ to be. She _used_ to be a party girl… The girl who got drunk and danced on top of tables and hooked up with guys from school. That was who she used to be, just about a year ago. But Demi had changed. She stopped partying and flirting with guys completely.

Demi had just wanted to have fun for a night and take Noel to the club, but the plan had obviously backfired. Noel probably didn't want to see her again. Not after last night. She immediately regretted kissing him. Now I've ruined everything, she thought as she showered.

After getting dressed, she picked up the phone and called him. After about four rings, he answered. "Hello?" he said.

"Hey. Look, I'm really sorry about last night. I hope you don't completely hate me," Demi said.

"Hate you? No. Of course not," he said. Then he paused. "How about we start over and forget about last night? I'll take you to lunch, on me."

"Only if you let me pay. I insist," she said.

"Fine. I'll pick you up at two."

Relieved, Noel ran his fingers through his chocolate colored hair and got up off of the bed. He left for his tour of that apartment. It was around the corner from Security Headquarters. A woman greeted him in the lobby. "Mr. Kreiss? Follow me," she said, leading him up two flights of stairs.

The woman opened the door and allowed him to step inside the living room, complete with a loveseat, armchair, coffee table and bookshelf. Then she led him to the kitchen, which had plenty of counter space (not that Noel actually planned on cooking) and room for a table and chairs. The bedroom was the perfect size. It already had a bed in it, a nightstand and a dresser. The bathroom was small, but he'd make it work.

"So how much a month?" he asked when the tour was finished.

"Three hundred gil per month," she replied. "But if you want the furniture too, then five hundred gil a month."

"I'll take it."

"Okay. It will be ready on Monday. Stop by around six that evening. I'll have the key ready for you."

"Thanks."

At two, Noel found himself knocking on Demi's front door. She answered and let him inside. "So where are you taking me?" she asked, as she grabbed her bag from off of her dresser.

"I was thinking of that nice little restaurant on the cliff," Noel said.

"I love that place! Everyone used to go there when I was in school. I haven't been there in months," Demi said.

"Well let's get going," Noel said and they walked out of the house together. As they made their way to the restaurant, he added, "I got the apartment. I can move in tomorrow evening."

"I'm happy for you! I'll throw you a housewarming party!" she said excitedly. Noel shot her a quizzical look. "Well not a _party_ party…"

"I'm glad that I'm not having a hard time settling down here."

"Partially thanks to my help. Bresha's filled with nice people, such as me"

When they got to the restaurant, it was fairly crowded. The waiter seated them at a table near the window. As they waited for their food to come, a random guy around their age stumbled to the table. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Demi," he said.

"Go away, Archer," she said, not looking up at him.

"Why? Remember all the fun we had just last year. I still remember fucking you. I had you screaming my name. Remember that, Demi?"

"Would you get out of here?"

"What? Don't want your little boyfriend to know about how you fucked everyone on the Blitzball team?"

Noel got up out of his chair so that he could face Archer himself. "She asked you to leave," he said sternly.

"Fine… I'll leave. But just know that your little date there's nothing but a dirty, cheap slut," Archer said and walked off.

"Screw you," Demi shouted after him. Then fresh tears started falling down her face. "Excuse me," she said and left the restaurant. Noel slipped some money on the table to pay for their glasses of water. Then he followed her out of the restaurant. He found her sitting on the grass across the street with her knees up to her chin.

"Hey," Noel said, sitting next to her. She sniffled and picked her head up.

"We shouldn't be friends anymore," she said.

"Just because of what some asshole said?"

"Because it's true… You don't know about my past. About how I used to get drunk and hook up with guys and how I used to be a wild party girl. I changed… but last night, that part of me came back."

"I don't care about that. I still like you."

"You do?"

"Yeah. You're beautiful and smart and funny. What's not to like?"

"I like you too, Noel." Then Noel wiped the remainder of her tears and brushed her hair out of the way. He lifted her chin up so that he could look her in her brown eyes. And finally, he pressed his lips to hers. He held the back of her neck as he kissed her. It was sweet, passionate, intimate... The way their first kiss should've been in the first place.


	4. Chapter 4

006 AF

Serah felt terrible after allowing Snow to kiss her. She had betrayed Hope. But she couldn't bring herself to tell him. Deep down inside, she knew Hope would forgive her and love her anyway, but she couldn't hurt him. She remembered his words: You kissed back. He was right because she did. She did kiss him back. She was confused about her feelings. Of course she loved Hope, but she supposed that she never stopped loving Snow. Could she love two people at once?

Now she was in the middle of giving birth. Nell was serving as the midwife. It hurt like hell, with each push. Serah was holding onto Hope's hand for dear life. "Aaaggghhhh!" she screamed as the baby finally came out of her body. Serah gave a sigh of relief as the pain subsided. Her baby was screaming in Nell's arms.

When Nell returned, the baby was cleaned up and was no longer crying. "It's a girl," Nell said with a smile as she placed the baby in Serah's arms. Hope leaned in to get a closer look. Their baby opened her eyes.

"What should we name her?" Hope asked.

"Well… I thought about it. How about Faith? You need Faith to have Hope, right?" she joked.

"I like it," Hope said. "Faith Estheim…" Serah handed the baby over to Hope so that he could hold her. Serah started thinking. She thought about what would've happened if she ended up pregnant by Snow. What would they have named the baby? Serah shook her head. She shouldn't be thinking about Snow. Her family was right in front of her, Faith and Hope.

She wondered about Lightning. She already knew everything, from being in Valhalla. Was she proud of Serah? Happy that she didn't marry Snow? Glad to be an aunt? Serah would never know. But one day, she would resume her time travel to find Lightning. She just hoped that Noel would be back by then. That way she wouldn't have to go alone. He surely knew more about time travel than she did.

She missed Noel. She still didn't know why he left exactly. She'd try to find him herself, but he could be anywhere. After all, there were probably millions of gates in the Historia Crux. Was he okay? Was he enjoying his new life in a new place, wherever that was? Or was he missing her, just as she was missing him?

300 AF

Noel was enjoying his life in Bresha. He'd been there for about two months. He'd finished his training and finished furnishing his apartment. He liked his job. He'd made a few friends, some coworkers and some people he'd met from Demi.

Demi was his girlfriend now. Had been for about a month and a half. Sure, she told him all about her not so perfect past, but Noel didn't care about that. She'd changed. She was perfect. Well, almost…

She was still modeling in photo shoots. Noel liked to go with her so that he could watch. She was very photogenic. Taking pictures came so naturally for her. And another thing he liked about her was that she rarely wore makeup. He liked when women wore little or no makeup. They looked better that way, to Noel.

It was Demi's birthday. He planned a candlelit dinner for her at his house. He had ended up learning how to cook a few things. He made behemoth steaks with potatoes and vegetables. It wasn't much, but he knew that Demi would like it. He turned off the lights and lit several candles in the kitchen. Then the doorbell rang.

Noel made sure everything was perfect and let her in. She was wearing a little black dress tonight that hit her curves perfectly. "Happy birthday," Noel said and kissed her.

"Thank you," Demi said. "You cooked for me? That was so sweet."

Noel pulled her chair out for her and pushed it in when she sat down. Then he quickly sat down in his, nearly knocking down his glass in the process. He poured wine in both of their glasses and toasted to Demi. "To Demi," they both said in unison before taking a few sips. Then Demi cut a piece of the steak and ate it.

"Not bad for someone who didn't know how to cook in the first place," Demi said teasingly.

"Do you think that _you_ can do better?" Noel challenged her.

"I know I could," she said.

"I've never seen you pick up a pot or pan ever," he said. "You should cook breakfast then. I'm sure scrambling a few eggs should be too challenging for you."

"We'll see…"

After dinner, they watched a movie and cuddled on the couch. Toward the middle, Demi was in his lap kissing him with passion he never felt before. He stopped her. "What's all this about?" he asked between kisses.

"Nothing," she said and continued kissing him anyway. She made her way down to his neck this time. A small moan escaped Noel's lips. Then he snapped out of it.

"What are you doing? You _know_ that's my weak spot," he purred in her ear and kissed her once more.

"I want you…"

Then he looked up at her, more seriously this time. "You sure about this? We don't have to."

"Of course I'm sure. It's been a long time…"

"Okay," Noel said simply. With that he picked her up and took her to his bedroom. He threw her onto the bed and climbed on top of her. He continued kissing her, tongues dancing in each others' mouths. Demi helped him out of his clothes. Then Demi let her little black dress drop onto the floor. She was wearing red lace panties, with a bra to match. "Did you plan all of this?" he asked, smiling.

"Maybe," she said and started feeling on the well toned body above her. Noel smiled as she leaned in closer to kiss on his neck. Noel got off of her and gently put his two fingers inside of her to moisten her up. She bit her lip in pleasure as Noel's fingers took over her insides. Noel felt the wetness all over his fingers.

Demi moaned softly when he added in another finger. "Put it in," she breathed. Noel didn't hesitate to do as she asked. He took his fingers out, wiping them on a towel nearby and slowly and carefully slid his manhood inside Demi's body. She gasped when he was fully inside of her. "You're so big…" she said.

Noel started thrusting into her body slowly. Demi turned her head to the slide, beginning to moan. "Faster, Noel…"

Then he picked up the pace, slamming into her a little faster. Demi's moaning started to get a little louder. Noel liked hearing Demi moan. Her moan was cute. And he was glad that he was the one to be giving her this pleasure. He didn't care what that bastard Archer had said about Demi. She was his and he was hers. And that was all that mattered. He just wanted to please Demi and satisfy her every need and urge.

"Noel?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you bend me over?"

"Sure," Noel said. Then he got off of her. Demi got on her hands and knees and arched her back. Noel licked his lips, anticipating the pleasure that was soon to come. He pulled her closer to him and inserted himself inside her once again. Noel groaned as he made his way inside of her.

"Ugh, Demi," he said as he began thrusting in and out of her, grabbing hold of her hips. "You feel so amazing."

"Uh!" she moaned, as if in response to the comment Noel just made. She demanded for him to go faster. Noel began pulling her hips to him faster and faster, her ass jiggling as he did. He had to admit… Demi had a nice ass. Noel smiled to himself before he rolled back his eyes. He was numb from the pleasure and the passion.

Demi started moaning very loudly. Noel was sure that the neighbors could hear everything. They probably knew his name, as many times as Demi had moaned it. He could feel her insides tighten up around him. He knew that she was close. And so was he. They both gave loud moans and groans as they came at the same time. Inside Demi, he knew that his cum was mixing in with hers. When he finally pulled out, a truckload of cum poured out of her, wetting the bed. "That was amazing, babe," Demi said.

"Thanks," Noel said. "You were just as amazing, baby."

"Let's take a shower," she suggested. Noel didn't reject the idea. Instead, he followed her into the bathroom, where she had already started running the water. She stepped inside and Noel stepped in behind her, closing the curtain. The warm water poured down on them, washing off the sweat Noel had accumulated during their heated sex session.

By the time they got out of the shower, their skin was wrinkled and their bodies were satisfied. Noel had fucked her against the shower walls, holding her up while he thrusted deeply inside of her. He liked her in the air better than on the bed. Demi had come faster that time, with Noel coming a few minutes after her.

When they finally climbed into Noel's bed, after they'd changed the sheets, Demi curled up next to him. Noel wrapped his arms around her and smiled. He was so lucky to have her. Then they both fell asleep.

"Noel? You still awake?" she called in the middle of the night.

Noel drifted back into consciousness. "Yeah Demi. I'm up."

"That was the best birthday ever."

***As you have read, Serah's back in the picture. Well... Not Noel's picture. But you know what I mean. What do you guys think of Demi? Please review! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

006 AF

A few days later, Faith was healthy enough to go home. Serah and Hope had moved out of the NORA house a few months ago. Now they had their own house on the pier. A permanent schoolhouse had also been built on the beachfront. Now that Serah had the baby, she could go back to teaching. She had to admit, she missed her students even though she saw them basically every other day wandering around town square.

Instead of going home, Serah and Hope decided to go to the NORA house to introduce Faith to their friends. As soon as they stepped inside, Faith had several people cooing over her.

Faith looked like her for the most part. Except that she had Hope's eye color and his silver blonde hair. "She's so cute," exclaimed Maqui. Everyone agreed. Snow was nowhere in sight. Serah was glad. She'd been avoiding him since the kiss. Snow hadn't opened his mouth to anyone. But who knows what he'd do if someone pushed him to the limit.

Faith sat in the baby carrier near Serah, who was helping set the table for dinner. She was quiet and sleeping. Faith didn't cry much. Not unless she peed or was sleepy. Then Lebreau said, "I've got it. Why don't you go get Snow? He hasn't come out of his room for days. Maybe he'll actually join us for dinner tonight."

"Sure," Serah said grudgingly. She looked at Faith one last time and made her way to the back of the house, to Snow's room. She knocked on the door and Snow opened it for her a few seconds later. He sat back down on his bed. "Hey," Serah said.

"Hey," Snow said, looking at the tv screen.

"Aren't you gonna come to dinner?"

"Not hungry."

"Well don't you wanna see the baby?"

"Fine," Snow said. Then, as she walked out of the room to get Faith, he mumbled, "The baby that's not mine."

Serah returned several seconds later with Faith in her hands. She showed her to Snow. Snow studied her for a few seconds and said, "She looks like you."

"Do you want to hold her?"

"Okay," Snow said, accepting the newborn baby in his arms. "Hey there," he said to Faith. His voice woke her up, Serah supposed. Faith started crying. Snow handed Serah her baby and sighed. "See? I'll never make a good father."

"Your voice probably startled her," Serah said lamely.

"Yeah right. You and I both know that I'd make a horrible father," Snow said. Serah felt bad for him. She comforted Faith, who'd stopped crying. She didn't know what to say after that. What _could_ she possibly say?

"So you came here to rub it in my face?"

"No, I only—"

"Save it. You got what you wanted, right?" Snow said harshly. Serah turned to leave. "And don't worry. I didn't tell anyone about what happened."

300 AF

Noel had been asking Demi about her parents. He wanted to meet them, but Demi always had some lame excuse. "Do I embarrass you?" he asked.

"No! Of course not, but—," she started.

"Then why can't I meet them? We've been together almost three months, Demi."

"All right! All right! I'll let them know we're coming over. Happy?"

"Not quite," Noel said and kissed Demi's lips softly. "That's better."

Demi smiled and took out her phone, leaving the room. Noel wondered why she never wanted him to meet her parents before. When Demi had asked him about _his_ parents, he was straightforward about it. His parents were dead, which wasn't a lie. When Demi asked him about his life prior to him coming to Bresha, he made things up. He didn't like lying to her, but how would she react if she knew that he was from the future?

Noel was a little nervous about meeting Demi's parents. She hadn't really told him what they were like. Were they going to like him? Or would they reject him completely. He hoped that they'd like him, for his sake.

He and Demi walked up to a quaint house, sitting on a small slope on the edge of the town. Demi knocked on the door a few times before a middle aged woman opened the door.

"Hey mom," Demi said, kissing the woman's cheek. "This is Noel, my boyfriend."

"Hello Noel," the woman said, shaking Noel's hand. "I've heard so much about you. My name is Lora."

"It's nice to finally meet you," Noel said. Lora let them inside and everyone had a seat in the living room, where a young baby girl was playing with a stuffed moogle. He looked at the baby, then looked back at Demi. "Is this your sister?"

"Um… yeah. That's Tira," Demi said strangely. Noel shook his head and watched the little girl play. She strongly resembled Demi. _They could be twins_, Noel thought to himself. "In case you were wondering, my dad is in the Archylte Steppe. He's doing agricultural research there."

"Oh," was all Noel said. "Tira… she looks like you." He noticed an uncomfortable smile on Demi's face… and on her mother's.

"Why don't I make some coffee," Lora said, standing up. "Would you like some, Noel? Or some tea perhaps?"

"I'll help. Noel likes coffee, mom," said Demi quickly and scooped Tira into her arms.

_Why were they acting so strange? They've been acting weird since I mentioned Tira_, Noel thought. He heard Demi and her mother arguing in the kitchen. He couldn't hear what they were saying. Their words were muffled.

Moments later, Demi handed Noel a mug of steaming coffee. "I added cream and sugar. Just how you like it," she added.

"Thanks," he said, taking a small sip, careful not to burn his tongue. Lora returned to the living room with a mug in her hands.

"I just put Tira to sleep. She was getting a little cranky," she said before sitting down. "So Noel, what do you do?"

"I work for the Academy. As a patrol officer," he replied. She asked him a few more questions about himself. Then Demi stood up and went out of Noel's view. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah. She'll be all right. She's just a little stressed out. It's probably her father's absence," Lora said.

Demi returned a couple minutes later. "Mom, I'm gonna go home now. I don't feel so good."

"Are you sure?" Lora asked. "I was going to make dinner."

"Maybe some other time," she replied.

"It was nice to meet you, Lora," Noel said, giving her a small hug.

Noel and Demi walked in silence. She didn't start a conversation. Noel knew she was hiding something from him. But what could it be? When they got to Noel's house, he asked, "What's with you today? Why didn't you want me to meet your mother?" She didn't say anything. Instead, she burst out in tears.

"I haven't been completely honest with you, Noel," she said.

"You can tell me," Noel said, looking her in her brown eyes. "I won't judge you… You know I won't… I love you."

She looked up at him with a face stained with fresh tears. "Well my parents are divorced. Mom lives here and dad lives in the Archylte Steppe. When I was sixteen, I found out that I was pregnant. But with my reputation, my dad suggested that I live with him so that I wouldn't have to face everyone at school. My mom convinced everyone that I was living in the Archylte Steppe studying about agriculture and it worked. I was there for a few months until I had the baby."

Noel didn't let his surprise show on his face. "So where is the baby?"

"It's Tira. Tira's mine. My mom is only raising her to spare my reputation," Demi said. "And the worst part is… I don't even know who her dad is." That caused Demi to resume crying again. Noel didn't say anything. Noel lay back on the bed and Demi lay next to him. He held her and ran his fingers through her soft, curly hair. Neither said anything for a long time.

"I still love you, Demi. And nothing will change that."

"I love you too, Noel. I just wish that I hadn't made so many mistakes. I wish that I could just leave this place and leave my past behind me…"

"I haven't been completely honest with you either. I've been lying to you about my past," Noel said, taking a gulp. "I'm not from this time. I was born four hundred years after this time period… In 700 AF."

"What? What are you saying?" Demi said, looking at Noel wide eyed.

"I'm saying that in the future, where I come from, I was the last person living in the world. So I found a gate and I started time traveling, so that I could prevent the world from dying. I came to this time to escape."

"Escape from what?"

"A girl that I had a pathetic crush on… She was already with someone and I left because I couldn't stand to sit around and watch."

"You mean, there's a way to travel through time?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying."

"So can we go? Can we get out of this place? Please?"

"What about your life here? What about Tira?"

"I'll bring Tira with us. I'd do anything to start my life anew, Noel."

"I can get us to New Bodhum, but that's about it."

"Take me there."


	6. Chapter 6

300 AF

Two weeks later, Demi held Tira in her arms as she stood in front of the gate next to Noel. It was the middle of the night, so not many people were around. There was no one in the particular area they were in though, so there'd be no one to witness them stepping through the gate.

"You don't mind Tira coming?" Demi asked, unsure.

"Of course not… Are you still stuck on the whole you-don't know-who-her-father-is thing?" Noel asked. "Because I promise to help you take care of her. I'll love her like she's my own."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'd do anything for you," Noel said, giving her a soft kiss. "You ready?" Demi nodded and they slowly made their way into the gate, stepping into the flow of time.

006 AF

Serah woke up with a gasp, startling Hope. "What's happening?" Hope asked, confused.

"It's Noel… I just had a dream. He's coming here. He's with a girl and a baby," Serah said. Hope rubbed his eyes, barely awake. "I'm gonna go check it out."

"Serah, don't… It's the middle of the night. You know that there are fiends out there."

"I'll be fine. I can fight off a few cilones with no problem," Serah said, grabbing her bowsword.

"Just be careful," Hope said.

"I will," Serah said, brushing a quick kiss across his lips before she left. Serah ran from the house and headed toward the gate. She nearly ran there, excited to finally see Noel again. But what if he wasn't there? What if her dream had just been a regular dream? Serah couldn't tell the difference anymore. But if Noel wasn't there, she'd be disappointed.

To her dismay, Noel wasn't around when she got there. _I guess it had just been a stupid dream_, Serah thought. _I should've just stayed in bed._

Serah sat on a rock near the gate, waiting. But Noel still didn't show up. Just as she was about to give up hope, a bright light came from the gate. Three people emerged from it. One of which, was Noel.

"Noel!" Serah said, running to him. She nearly knocked him down when she hugged him.

"How'd you know?" Noel asked curiously.

"I had a dream," Serah said.

"Oh, Serah… This is Demi, my girlfriend. And this is Tira," Noel said, gesturing to the two new guests.

"Hi," Serah said, greeting Demi and Tira. She turned to Noel. "So where have you been all this time? A lot's happened."

"I've been living in Bresha."

"The Bresha Ruins?"

"No. Just Bresha… It's a town now."

"Oh," Serah said. "You guys look beat. I'll take you to the NORA house."

"Nora House?" said Demi, still clutching onto Tira.

"NORA. It was a rebellion group against the Sanctum back on Cocoon… Now they're pretty much security guards, helping protect the people from monsters and fiends," Serah explained as she took them to the NORA house.

When they got there, everyone was asleep or in their rooms, at least. Serah rolled her eyes as she walked past Snow's room. She heard an audible moan coming from his room. He'd been doing that lately. Sleeping with random women every other night… Serah took them to Noel's old room, where she told them to make themselves comfortable. Demi left the room with Tira to give her a bath. Noel strode over to the nightstand, where he'd left his note.

"Do you still have it?" he asked suddenly.

"Yeah. I keep it in my drawer, under my clothes," Serah confessed.

"Why?"

"Because I was hoping that if I held on to it and kept wishing, that one day you'd come back," Serah replied. "Why'd you leave without a trace?"

"I had to get away…"

"From?"

"You."

"Me? Did I do something wrong?"

"Of course not."

"Then what was bothering you?"

"I liked you, but you were with Hope… And I just couldn't stand to sit back and watch."

"Noel, I… I didn't know."

"Well things have obviously changed… with both of us… Are you happy?"

"Yeah. Me and Hope… We're married now. And I had a baby a few months ago. Her name's Faith."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks. What about Tira? That's your baby?"

"Not exactly. It's complicated…"

"Well you can tell me all about it tomorrow. I'm exhausted."

"Goodnight, Serah."

The following morning, Serah was awoken by Faith's crying. She rubbed her eyes to find that Hope was giving her a bottle. "Good morning," Hope said, noticing that she was awake. "Is Noel back?"

Serah nodded, getting out of bed to stretch. "Yeah. He's at the NORA house now," she said.

"Great," Hope said. "I'll see him when I get to the garage. Me and Maqui are working on making these recording devices."

"That's great, Hope," said Serah. "I have to get to the school. I'll take Faith to Aerin's place." Serah packed a bag full of Faith's diapers, a spare change of clothes, and bottles. She got dressed while Hope dressed Faith. She gave Hope a kiss on the cheek and scooped Faith in her arms.

"Good morning, Aerin," she said after Aerin had let her inside. "If it helps, Faith just had a bottle. She'll probably want to sleep now." Serah placed Faith between two other toddlers.

"I heard Noel's back in town," she said, giving one of the babies a pacifier.

"News spreads fast in this town… He just got here last night," Serah said.

"That girl that we met last night… Is that the girl you had a crush on before?" Demi asked.

"Yeah. Serah," he replied. Demi frowned. "You're not jealous, are you? There's nothing to worry about. She's married now."

Then to Demi's dismay, Serah appeared in the doorway. Thankfully, she didn't show any signs of hearing their conversation. "You guys coming to the barbeque?" she asked.

"Who's barbeque?" Noel asked.

"Yours, of course. It's last minute, but it was Yuj's idea. We're just happy that you're back," Serah said.

"Thanks?" Noel said unsurely. Serah gave a little laugh and added, "It starts in an hour in town square."

Maqui and Hope were setting up outside on the beach. The barbeque would be starting soon. Serah was helping Lebreau season the food. Lebreau put the food in a pan and took it outside. "I'm gonna go get Nell. She's supposed to help me cook," she said.

Serah nodded and went to the back of the house to find Noel. He and Demi had been inseparable since they got there. She didn't really get a chance to talk to him alone. It's not that it was anything personal, but she wasn't sure she felt comfortable telling Noel stories in front of her. Serah felt as if Demi didn't like her. She had no reason not to like her. Or did she?

But when she got to Noel's room, he wasn't there. She knocked on Snow's door instead. He opened it up, let her inside, and closed the door. "Have you seen Noel and Demi?" she asked, immediately regretting coming to see Snow.

"Nope," he said brusquely. He was still upset about the other day, obviously. "Why are you here?"

"Um…" she started. She honestly didn't know why she was there. He approached her, lifting her chin slightly and kissed her. Serah didn't pull away. _Just like old times_, she said. Then before she knew it, both of their clothes were all over the floor and Snow was on top of her, thrusting roughly in and out of her naked body. Serah moaned into a pillow because they couldn't risk anyone hearing.

When they were done, they put their clothes back on. Serah kissed him again, then grabbed his face. "This was a once in a lifetime thing," she said sternly. "Don't expect it to happen again."

"Hey, Hope," shouted Maqui from across the beach. "Where's Serah?"

"I'm not sure. She's probably around here somewhere," he responded. Then he spotted Serah coming out of the NORA house with Snow. She ran to him, with Snow jogging to catch up to her.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek and explained, "Snow refused to come out at first, but I convinced him. I mean who'd reject free food, drinks, and a party?"

Snow gave a forced smile and walked away toward the grill.

Serah found Noel sitting on a rock, talking to Yuj. For once, he wasn't with Demi. She seized the opportunity and stole Noel away from Yuj, leading him to the beachfront, away from the barbeque.

"What's all this about?" he asked, scratching his head.

"I just did something really stupid," she said. Then she started crying. "I've slept with Snow… Just before the barbeque."

She could tell that Noel didn't know what to say. He had no idea how to respond. "Does Hope know?"

"Of course not," Serah said. "I can't tell him. It'll tear him apart!"

"So you're just going to live with this secret forever?" Noel asked. "It might hurt him, but if he really loves you, then he'll forgive you. Trust me, keeping secrets from the people you love is no good. I've learned my lesson."

They talked for almost an hour, catching up. Laughing and joking. _Just like old times…_


	7. Chapter 7

006 AF

As Serah curled up to Hope that night, she felt terribly guilty. She hated the feeling of keeping secrets from him. He treated her so well. He didn't deserve her. She wanted to tell him the truth badly, but how would you tell someone that loves you so much that you cheated on them with your ex-fiancée? Where would she even begin?

Why did she have to go in Snow's room? Why couldn't she have just minded her business and did something useful? No. Instead, she slept with a man she used to love. Maybe she still did, but none of that mattered. Serah loved Hope… she really did. She knew it would crush him if she told him, but she couldn't wait much longer.

Serah sat up in bed and pulled her knees to her chest. Hope sat up next to her, looking with concern. "Is something wrong?" he asked. He had no idea.

"I want to tell you… But I can't," Serah said. She felt pathetic and worthless. Hope would never be able to look at her the same way.

"You can tell me anything. You know that, right?" She trusted Hope. He wouldn't lie to her… Not like how she'd been lying to him.

"Remember when me and Snow came out of the house when the barbecue started?" Hope gave her a look for her to continue. Then she started again, "Me and Snow… we… we had sex."

"What?" Hope said. With the look on his face, Serah wasn't sure if he'd forgive her so easily. Serah broke out in tears. "Serah… Did you at least use protection?"

"Yeah," she said when she calmed down a little. But little did Hope know; the condom broke. Serah was scared. "I'm so sorry, Hope."

He didn't say anything. He just stared at the floor. Anyone would've noticed the pain in his face. Serah had broken his heart. Serah didn't like the silence. He could at least say _something_. She didn't know how to react to it. "I'll just leave," Serah said and got up.

"No," said Hope. He stood up. "I'll leave." And with that, he left their house. And Serah was left at home, with Faith breathing softly in her crib. Was it the end of their marriage? Serah had no idea.

She took Faith out of the crib, causing her to stir and open her eyes. She laid Faith down next to her. "Mommy's here," Serah said and held Faith close to her. Faith fell asleep in no time, but Serah didn't fall asleep until several hours later.

She was awoken by the opening and closing of drawers. She quietly sat up to see that it was Hope getting dressed. He was shirtless. She wished that he was lying next to her with his arms around her or for him to be on top of him, with her underneath purring his name into his ear. Everything had been going great until yesterday. She wished it never would've happened. But it was far too late.

"Good morning," she said, initiating a conversation between the two.

"Morning," he said dismissively.

"Hope?"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to break up with me?"

Hope sighed and sat down on the bed next to Serah and Faith, who had also just woken up. She stared at her father curiously, with eyes like his own. "Of course not… I love you too much to let you go. Unless you want to break up…"

"I don't want to. I love you so much. I'm so sorry about everything. We'll get through this. I promise. You have my heart."

"I just need some time."

"Okay," Serah said and reached out to hug him. He was warm and he smelled sweet, like honey. Serah was glad it wasn't the end of their relationship. But she'd have to work on their trust. She wasn't going to let the mistake with Snow ruin their marriage and tear her family apart. She had everything she wanted, but her past with Snow kept popping up everywhere she went. It was really starting to get annoying.

Two weeks later…

Hope wasn't sure what he should do exactly. Serah had cheated on him… With Snow! It broke his heart, but for some reason, he wasn't as pissed off as he should've been. He was more pissed with Snow. _I should've finished him off when I had the chance six years ago in Felix Heights, _he thought. He had some nerve. Especially after everything they'd been through in the past. After all, his mother was long gone because of him. He'd even forgiven him, but could Hope forgive him about fucking his wife?

He and Serah were distant now. It wasn't the same. They hadn't slept together in two weeks, they barely touched, barely spoke… It was killing him. It wasn't like he didn't want to pick up where they left off. He loved Serah more than anything. But he didn't know how to approach her. He knew that she was only doing it because he'd said that he needed time but he wanted things to go back to the way they were.

That night, he arranged for Maqui to keep Faith at the NORA house. He wanted to be alone with Serah for the night. They needed to talk… about everything.

Serah smiled when Hope walked in the house after dropping Faith off. "Hey," she said. "Where'd you take Faith?"

"She's in good hands," Hope said and reached out his hand. Serah took it and he led her out of the house. They walked slowly along the beach, not saying a word. Hope just watched the waves and looked out into the dark sky, illuminated blue by Cocoon.

"Where are we going?" Serah asked after they got to the beachfront.

"Just right here," Hope said and sat down. Serah sat down close to him… Closer than usual. "We need to talk."

Serah frowned. "I know. I'm so sorry… I'm so so sorry," she said genuinely.

Hope sighed. "Promise me… Promise that you won't hurt me again."

"I won't. It'll never happen again. I promise."

Hope grabbed her chin and kissed her. Their tongues danced in each others' mouths. "I missed you," Hope said when he pulled away from her.

"I missed you too… so much," she said and kissed him again. Hope pulled her onto his lap, continuing to kiss her. He brushed a kiss across her collarbone, and then started on her neck. Serah pushed him away, smiling. "Let's get out of here," she whispered in his ear.

Hope scooped her up and carried her all the way home. He placed her gently on the bed and they both started taking their clothes off. The night was spent with Hope thrusting in and out of his beautiful Serah. Make up sex was the best sex there was. While he was inside her, it was as if the affair had never happened in the first place. Things were somewhat back to normal. He just hoped that it would stay that way.


	8. Chapter 8

006 AF

A month later…

Noel walked in on Serah in the bathroom by mistake. "Oh, um… I'm… I didn't know… I- I'm Sorry." She'd been throwing up, judging by the sounds.

"Wait… Don't leave," she said. She was also crying. Noel frowned and kneeled down next to her while she threw up some more.

"Are you okay?" he asked, as she wiped her face and mouth with a tissue. She leaned against the toilet and stared at him with a fearful look. Something was definitely wrong.

"I'm pregnant again," she said.

"You like kids, Serah. What's really bothering you?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"It might be Snow's."

"But it was only one time."

"So? There's still a chance that it could be his baby… How could I live with myself? Hope would never ever forgive me for that. It was enough work to get him back. Now that things are back to normal, I want them to stay that way."

"Don't worry about it. You'll be an amazing mother either way." Noel threw her a huge smile. He knew that there was a chance that Snow could be the father, but it was unlikely. The chances were slim. Weren't they? "I've got to finish hunting. I'll see you later."

"Hope?" Serah called from the bathroom. Hope appeared in the doorway with a sleepy looking Faith lying on his chest. Serah frowned at herself in the mirror.

"What's wrong?" he asked with a voice full of concern.

"I'm pregnant."

"Are you upset?"

"No. Just nervous, I guess." Serah hoped Hope couldn't tell that she was lying.

"What are you so worried about? You're a good mother. Faith loves you," he said. "Right Faith? You might have a new brother. Or a sister." Hope smiled, so Serah smiled too.

"Are you happy?" she asked him.

"Of course I am… As long as I have you and Faith, I'll always be happy."

_If only he knew how I really felt_, thought Serah. Serah wished that she'd told him about the condom breaking, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him at the time. She couldn't possibly tell him now. Not after she'd promised not to hurt him again. Serah was pretty much trapped in a box of uncertainty until she gave birth again.

Three months later…

"Do you love her?" Demi asked one night.

"What?" Noel said, taken aback.

"Do you love Serah?"

"What makes you say that?"

"I see the way you look at her…"

"I'm just worried about her, Demi. She's been going through a tough time… With the pregnancy and all."

"You didn't answer me."

"No. I don't love her, Demi. I love _you_." That was a lie. Ever since he came back to New Bodhum, all of the feelings he'd ever had for Serah had come rushing back into his body. Demi was right. He did find himself staring at her occasionally. He cared about Demi, but he certainly didn't love her. Not anymore. But the sex was great. Every other night, they were having sex. Noel wasn't complaining.

"I love you too." The fact that Demi said that made him feel worse. Was he leading her on? He didn't want to hurt her, but he'd hurt her even more if she ever found out. He wished he never would've came back. Things probably would've been better. Here, Noel was a hunter… just like how he used to be. In Bresha, he was an Academy security guard. Here, Demi helped Eira with the kids. There, she was a model. There, they had things going for them. Here, it was… Well, blah.

They didn't say anything else to each other. Noel just fell asleep, with Tira in between himself and Demi.

Serah's belly was much more noticeable now. She had been avoiding Snow, but bumped into him on his way out of the house. She noticed that he'd stopped bringing a bunch of different women into the house and that he'd been getting back to work. He was changing… For a reason that Serah didn't know.

"Hey," he said coolly.

"Hi, Snow," she said, in response.

"How are you? And the baby?" Serah hadn't told him about the possibility that it could be his. She wasn't ready to face that.

"We're good."

"I'm happy for you."

"Thanks."

"I mean it." Snow actually meant it. Serah knew it.


	9. Chapter 9

007 AF

Two months later…

Hope was happy that he'd be a father again, but Serah didn't seem as happy. He supposed it was just her being pregnant and all, but she wasn't like that when she was pregnant with Faith. Maybe this pregnancy would be harder on her. Because Serah didn't seem like herself.

One day, at dinner, he asked her after he placed a plate of food in front of her and a bowl in front of Faith too. "Are you okay? Do you need anything? You don't seem like yourself lately."

"I'm fine…," she said. "It's just I haven't had the energy. Maybe it's a boy this time."

"That'd be perfect," he said, reaching across the table to hold her hand. Faith eyed him curiously and looked down at her food.

"No," Faith said, pushing her bowl away. Serah sighed. Faith was a fussy eater, a habit she'd developed recently. Serah scooted her chair closer to Faith and scooped up mashed potatoes on Faith's spoon.

Faith tried to turn her head when Serah made an attempt to feed her. "C'mon, Faith… Don't you want to be big and strong?" Faith nodded and obeyed her mother. She refused to eat with her spoon, using her fingers instead. Hope shook his head. _At least she's eating_, he thought.

Snow had decided to stop sleeping around. It damn sure wouldn't make Serah come back to him. Instead, he'd been working… protecting New Bodhum. He felt good for a change. He and Noel had become closer. He'd apologized to him for punching him in the face and they'd patched things up.

However, he and Hope weren't on the best of terms. Hope didn't hate him, but they weren't exactly best friends either. They had an awkward conversation every now and then… But it was becoming less awkward around Serah. It almost felt like old times, minus the kisses and the long hugs. He liked it better that way. If he couldn't be with her, he'd at least like to be her friend.

Even Demi seemed to warm up to him. Snow liked her, as a friend, that is. She was friendly, funny, and kind. He, Noel, and Demi always had a good time together. Even Tira seemed to like him. Faith was a little shy, but she didn't reject him like she had nearly a year ago.

It was getting harder and harder for Noel to feign love for Demi every day. How much longer would he have to suffer? How much longer would he have to hurt Demi? He cared for her, but he could not love her. He couldn't love her because of Serah, who was in love with Hope and was having another baby by him.

Was it selfish for him to wish that it would be Snow's baby? So that there was a chance that she and Hope would break up? Hope forgave her last time, but would he forgive her for that too? _If_ it happened? Even if any of that went down, it didn't guarantee that Serah would come running into his arms. She hadn't given him any signs that she had feelings for him. He'd confessed his feelings for her, but she didn't tell him anything about her feeling the same.

Noel sighed. He and Serah were best friends, but nothing more. Noel was convinced that they'd never be anything more. But he had to break up with Demi, but not yet. He could pretend some more. _Just a little longer_, he told himself.

Two and a half months later…

Serah collapsed to the floor suddenly while helping Snow with dinner. He'd been learning how to cook. Usually with Lebreau, but she was sick.

"Serah!" he yelled, kneeling down in the puddle that surrounded her. "Did your water break?" Serah moaned in pain and nodded. "I'll get you to Nell… Don't worry."

With that, he lifted Serah into his arms and carried her outside, walking quickly to Nell's house.

"Where's Hope?" Serah asked.

"I don't know… I think he's with Maqui gathering materials."

"And Noel?"

"Hunting." Snow called Nell from the front door. She answered, rubbing sleep from her eyes, though it was only early evening. Then she stared at Serah, wide eyed. Snow laid Serah on a spare bed and waited while Nell grabbed a bunch of supplies from the closet.

"Well don't just stand there!" Nell said. "Go get Hope."

"Right," Snow said and bolted out of the door. Kids surrounded him. He assumed that they were Serah's students. They demanded to know what was happening to Serah. "She's having a baby. She'll be fine, kids," he said, patting one of them on the head. He smiled. He wanted a kid some day. Maybe.

Then he remembered that he was supposed to be looking for Hope. He excused himself and went to Serah's house, hoping that Hope was there. To his dismay, he wasn't. He ran into Hope at the NORA house. At that point, Snow was out of breath. "Hope! Serah's… baby… is… coming! _Now_!"

"Wow. I'm gonna be a dad again," Hope said with a smile and walked out of the house.

"Hey, what's all the ruckus?" asked Demi, who appeared in the room with Noel.

"Serah's having the baby now," Snow said.

"I want to be the godfather!" Noel said. Snow noticed that Demi frowned. Was she jealous of Noel's friendship with Serah?

After nearly half a day in labor, Serah began to give birth. She pushed, let out a cry of excruciating pain. "Hope. Can you leave? I'll call you back." Serah couldn't have him in the room. Not until she was ready. Not until she knew it was his. Hope gave a nod and left Nell's house.

"It's a girl," Nell said happily as she held the crying baby after a few more pushes. She went to the sink to clean the baby up. Serah's heart dropped. What if it was Snow's baby after all? Then what?

Nell brought the baby toward Serah and smiled. "She almost looks like…." she started, then frowned. "Um… never mind."

Nell left the room while Serah stared in horror at her newborn child. The eyes were open. She knew those eyes… the icy color of blue. She knew those lips… She'd kissed them many times. The baby was the spitting image of Snow Villiers.

Tears started falling down her face. How could she let Hope see the baby? As soon as he took a look, he'd know. Noel would know what to do. "Nell, can you bring Noel?" Nell disappeared and returned with her best friend.

Noel smiled and said, "You did it." But by the look on his face, Noel already knew. "It's okay, Serah…"

"How is it going to be okay, Noel? How am I supposed to live with this? Faith will hate me… Hope will hate me… Snow? I don't know… Bring him here." Fear rose in Serah's body. What had she done? She ruined everything. Noel didn't say anything. He just looked at her and did as she asked.

Snow came inside. Serah didn't say a word as he looked at the now sleeping baby. He took a few steps back. "Serah… I-"

"She's yours…" she said and started crying all over again.

"But how?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

"Can you get Hope?"

"Okay," he said quietly. He returned with Hope and left to give them some privacy.

"Hey there. How are you feeling?" Hope asked. He sat in a chair next to the bed, without looking at the baby.

"I'm fine. I had another girl."

"What are we going to name her?"

"I'm going to name her Storm." Storm. For the terrible storm she's caused in my life. The birth of Storm would change everything. Nothing would ever be the same. "Storm Villiers."

Hope flinched. "Huh?" He stood and looked hard at the baby. He looked at her for several long and painful minutes. Then he left without uttering a word. Serah cried again. Then Nell came in and offered to clean her up. Nell took the baby from Serah and put her down.

"Are you okay?" Nell asked.

"No," Serah admitted. Then she told Nell everything from where it all began.

Four days later…

Hope wouldn't speak to Serah at all. He wouldn't even look at her. It was as if she didn't exist to him. The only time they spoke was when it concerned Faith. And sometimes Storm. She could tell that he resented Storm. Faith seemed to like her enough, but she knew no better.

Serah had been sleeping at the NORA house with Storm. The news about Storm had gotten out rather quickly. Everyone was disappointed. Especially Lebreau, after Serah hadn't told her anything at all. "I could've helped you," she'd said before walking away.

One night, there was a knock at the door. Noel appeared in her doorway. "Hey," he said and sat down on her bed.

"Hi, Noel," she said plainly. There was a moment of silence. She started crying. "I just want to get away from here. I wish none of this had ever happened. I want to travel to the past."

"You can't just run away. You can't just run away and leave your kids behind…" Noel said. "I've learned that running away doesn't solve anything. It doesn't change anything." He was staring at Serah longingly.

"What do you mean?"

"Even though I went to Bresha and came back, it doesn't change the fact that I love you."

"You don't love Demi?"

"I stopped loving her almost as soon as we got here because you were here."

"Now it's my fault?"

"No. You know that's not what I meant… Do you love Hope?"

"No… I stopped when I realized I was pregnant. But I realized something that I've been denying for a long time."

"What?"

"That I have feelings for you too. You're the only one who knows me like the back of my hand. You know about my past… about all of my secrets. I was attracted to you the whole time. I just knew that I couldn't act upon my feelings. I was just too wrapped up with me and Snow's breakup and with falling in love with Hope to notice. But now that I'm talking to you, I have butterflies."

Noel let out a little laugh. "So what do we do? Go back to the past and then what?"

"We could go back to Cocoon! Everyone'll be there, but no one will remember any of this… except for us. We could be together."

"I'd like that," Noel said and kissed the lips he'd been wanting to kiss for as long as he could remember.

"I knew it!" Demi shouted from the now opened doorway. "You _do_ love her! You lied to me!"

Noel stood up and raced to grab her arm to stop her. "Demi, wait… You don't understand."

"I understand _everything_. No wonder you've been acting different. You've been sleeping with that whore the whole time, haven't you?"

"You're one to talk!" Serah yelled, immediately regretting it. "At least I know who the father of my babies are!"

"You told her?" Demi's hurt expression made Serah feel sorry for her. She walked away, leaving Noel in the doorway. He didn't chase after her.

Noel sighed. "Do you really want to go? There's nothing left for me here anymore."

"Yeah. I just have to do something first."

Serah went back to the house, where Hope and Faith were fast asleep. Faith was cuddled in her father's arms. She brushed a kiss on Faith's cheek and a kiss on Hope's. Then she left the note on the bed. Then she left and went to Noel.

Hope felt lips brush against his cheek. Moments later, he was fully awake. He looked over to Serah's side of the bed, where he found a piece of paper with her engagement necklace on top of it. He opened it up. It was from Serah: Hope, I know that you and I aren't on good terms. I'm sorry for everything… for hurting you again. For not telling you about the possibility of the baby being Snow's… and for not loving you enough. By the time you get this, Noel and I will be gone. We're going back to Cocoon. In that time, you probably won't know me. I'm sorry. Love, Serah.

He gasped. He had to stop her. Maybe he could catch up to her in time. He moved Faith into the crib and dashed out of the door and toward the gate. In the distance, he could see Noel and Serah holding hands… a romantic gesture. Then they both stepped through the gate together. Then the gate seemed to be turned off.

It was too late. Serah was gone and he couldn't fix it. He wished they could've had one last conversation or one last kiss or something. But there was nothing he could do. They'd locked the gate so that they couldn't be followed. Now he'd have to live in the future, without being with or near Serah.

Wherever she and Noel went, he hoped that they'd be okay. Hope knew that Noel would protect her. He wondered if Serah loved him. But, of course, he would never know. All he had left of Serah was the letter and the necklace. The scent of her probably still lingered throughout the house, her clothes…

Hope wondered if he could love again. It hurt him to know that Serah didn't love him. He wondered if she ever loved him at all or if it had just been an act the whole time. Everything was all screwed up. Serah was lost in time, with Hope missing her with every passing minute.

The end

*Review if you'd like me to continue the story*


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